Dhaka – Bangladesh has extended a ban slapped earlier on forest tree cutting until 2022 for better conservation of environment and biodiversity, officials said on Monday.

The weekly meeting of the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave the approval to a proposal moved by Environment and Forest Ministry.

The proposal sought the ban on cutting of trees of reserved and natural forest to be extended until 2022, cabinet secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam told reporters after the meeting.

The ban was imposed in line with an ordinance promulgated in 1989. But Bangladesh lost most forest resources during the 1990s and the forest cover in the South Asian country was still declining thanks to illegal loggings.

Ministers and State Ministers, and secretaries concerned were among, present in the approval meeting.